On April 23, 2014, at 2 p.m. (eastern time), in commemoration of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will cosponsor a Web Forum discussion with David Corwin, M.D., and James Henry, MSW, Ph.D., on the implications of adverse childhood experiences for practitioners. Dr. Corwin is a Professor in the Pediatrics Department at the University of Utah, where he directs Forensic Services. He also is President of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, which is dedicated to increasing health professionals' knowledge and skills in preventing, recognizing, and intervening with those harmed by violence and abuse. Dr. Corwin has lectured and consulted nationally and internationally on child abuse issues. One of his primary focuses is on evaluating, mitigating, and preventing the adverse health effects associated with experiencing violence and abuse across the lifespan.Dr. Henry is Cofounder and Project Director for the Western Michigan University (WMU) Children's Trauma Assessment Center. He has more than 17 years of experience as a child welfare and protective services worker. Dr. Henry is on the Steering Committee for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and is cochair of the NCTSN Child Welfare Committee. Previously, he worked as a professor in WMU's School of Social Work, developing and providing trauma-informed instruction and teaching courses in child sexual abuse, child welfare, and advanced treatment of children.Visit the OVC Web Forum now to submit questions for Drs. Corwin and Henry and return on April 23 at 2 p.m. (eastern time) for the live discussion. Click here for instructions on how to participate.

Most training on sexual assault of people with disabilities typically focuses on issues such as the following:•Definitions, descriptions, and characteristics of various disabilities•Legal requirements (e.g., compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act)•Physical accessibility issues•Communication guidelines (e.g., language use, communication aids and services)•Etiquette, respect, and empowermentThese are critically important areas, and the primary message of such training is often to "see the person, not the disability." Police officers are taught to approach victims with disabilities and the investigation "like they would in any other case." The hope is that victims who have a disability will be treated with the same respect as other victims, and this is an important goal we all need to support.However, when training for law enforcement focuses solely on respect, police officers are left wondering what they should actually do when they are assigned to investigate a crime against a person with a disability. How do they approach the victim, craft an investigative strategy, and gather and document the relevant evidence? How do they effectively communicate with victims, and ensure they are doing everything they can to protect victims' safety while still respecting their self-autonomy? How do they access and utilize the people, technologies, and resources that might be available to help?This webinar is designed to answer some of these questions.

Social media offers an exciting platform from which to explore new strategies and opportunities to further our sexual assault prevention efforts. This webinar will focus on various social media tools and how they may be employed to challenge social norms, attitudes, and beliefs that condone sexual violence. We will look at a number of powerful social media advocacy campaigns across the globe that are enhancing sexual assault prevention efforts and discuss tips for conducting effective media advocacy in communities across the state of Tennessee.Conducted By: Katie Czerwinski, Program Specialist.

The National Center for Victims of Crime, with funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, announces a new webinar in a series addressing untested sexual assault kits: Into the Lab: Mandatory Testing of Sexual Assault Kits. Illinois (in 2009) and Texas (in 2011) enacted state laws mandating the testing of sexual assault kits (SAKs). Both laws required audits of the untested sexual assault kits that had languished for years in evidence storage rooms as well as timely testing of all sexual assault kits moving forward. This webinar, presented by Cara Smith and Torie Camp, will describe how the Illinois and Texas laws came about, key aspects of both states' laws, results of the statewide audits, and impact of the laws on the criminal justice system and victims of sexual assault. Speakers will discuss barriers to passage of these laws, challenges to implementation, and wish lists for improvement.If you have any questions about this Webinar, please email Ilse Knecht or Torie Camp, or by phone at 512-940-6932.

On April 30, join JDI for a webinar for advocates who want to provide services for survivors in prisons, jails, and youth facilities.This webinar will educate rape crisis advocates and other community-based service providers on the criminal justice system and the culture of corrections. Presenters will give an overview of different types of confinement facilities and how the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards apply to each type.Drawing on their extensive experience working with corrections officials, JDI staff will discuss different approaches in the adult and youth systems, goals of corrections officials regarding maintaining safety and security, and common misunderstandings between corrections officials and advocates.This webinar will help advocates find common ground with corrections officials working in their communities, ensuring incarcerated survivors can get the help they need.

Working with Youth means working with feelings and emotions of everything they have seen and heard and may not be able to articulate because they do not understand. This webinar takes a look at Youth development and suggest some tools and skills to help adolescences "get out of their own way".

Implementing sexual violence prevention work within independent school districts can be challenging for a myriad of reasons not limited to disinterest, scheduling difficulties, and the censure of topic areas. Prevention work can be hugely successful outside of the traditional classroom. This interactive webinar will discuss techniques to identify and foster successful partnerships with existing local agencies, youth serving organizations, and community groups.

Incident-based data reported by law enforcement capture numerous elements that can help uncover patterns about particular types of crime, crime victims, arrestees, and other factors. The knowledge provided from analyzing IBR data has contributed to strategic and operational changes in law enforcement agencies, the creation of more effective prevention programs, the establishment of educational programs for victims and advocacy groups, and changes in justice policy. The purpose of this webinar is to demonstrate the utility of incident-based data as an analytic tool to address matters relevant to policy. Presenters will discuss issues they have addressed using such data: how they analyzed the data, how the findings led to a better understanding of problems such as domestic violence and disproportionate minority contact, and the policy and/or strategic implications of their findings. They will also discuss the limitations of the data and possible future research to further explore the issue.Panelists: Max Schlueter SAC Director, Vermont Center for Justice Research Rob McManus SAC Director, Office of Justice Programs, South Carolina Department of Public SafetyModerator: Lisa Walbolt Wagner, Research Associate, Justice Research and Statistics Association

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